Portable panel systems are commonly used in office landscaping and for display purposes at trade shows and exhibits. In offices, they form partitions and interior hallways. As display units, the panels will have either written or pictorial matter affixed to at least the front surfaces of each panel, and sometimes to both the front and rear panel surfaces.
Generally, a plurality of flat rectangular panels are assembled into the desired structure by the use of conventional fasteners or couplings. Between each pair of panels is normally found an intermediary beam member that is used to provide a vertical attachment point for the panels. The beam member may also act as the primary vertical support for the panel unit. Once the panel system has been assembled, the individual panels are often oriented in a coplanar manner. The panels may also be placed at an angle to each other with perpendicular or forty five degree orientations being frequently used.
A typical prior art panel usually consists of a rectangular outer frame that has removable rectangular facings attached to its front and rear sides. The hardware used to connect adjacent panels is normally found along the exterior side or top edges of the outer frame. In the prior art, a variety of different apparatus are taught to accomplish the connection function.
Sak et al (U.S. Pat. No. 3,356,404) shows a modular panel system in which the panel edges have a special shape that is designed to engage a specially shaped support beam.
Nelson (U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,788) teaches a locking system for display panels. The system makes use of a telescoping support beam that has tabs adapted to engage elongated retainer channels that are located along the side edges of each connected panel.
Dorr et al (U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,829) teaches a display panel system that includes hollow intermediary support columns and panel mounted retainers. The retainers function by locking onto the top and bottom ends of the support column. Each retainer includes a pivotable "L"-shaped finger member that can be manually moved to engage or disengage the associated panel member from the support column.
There are a number of problems associated with prior art panel systems. The panels are difficult to erect since they often require the assembler to make adjustments at the extreme top and bottom edges of the panels. This can be a significant problem when working with panels that are seven feet in length or that have bottom edges that directly contact the floor.
Another problem with prior art panel systems is that they are difficult to erect when it is desired to place one panel at an angle to an adjacent panel. Most of the prior art patents previously noted involve different methods to solve this longstanding problem. However, none of the prior solutions to the angling problem are simple in nature or are easy to fabricate. To achieve a forty-five degree angle between panels often requires complicated connecting hardware that can only be assembled using special tools.
It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a modular panel system that is easily portable and that can be quickly assembled or disassembled without tools.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a modular panel system that does not require the assembler to reach the extreme top and bottom edges of each panel during the panel connection process.
Another object of the invention is to provide a panel system in which the panels can be mated to a number of differently shaped intermediary support members.
Another object of the invention is to provide a panel system in which the connecting hardware rigidly and securely attaches each panel to its associated joining or intermediary member.
A further object of the invention is to provide a panel system in which adjacent panels can be easily placed at any desired angle to each other.